We Care
We love God's creation and care about our environment
Elements Beach & Nature Resort in Kappalady (Thalawila), Kalpitiya has been operating under a German/Swiss management for the last 10 years. We are a eco-friendly nature resort with the focus on sustainable tourism. From the very first day, we made sure that Elements would be a benefit and a blessing for the people living in the surrounding villages and the beautiful nature we are nestled in. We have established a lagoon committee consisting of all hoteliers and the fishing society in Kappalady to protect the fishermen and their livelihoods as kitesurfing has taken over during the last 10 years. We commit to a “reduce-reuse-recycle-policy” in our resort and avoid plastic wherever possible to protect the environment. We do regular beach cleanings, separate the waste and send it for recycling. We focus on empowering people from the close by village by providing them with a training on the job and a long-term employment. As of today, we employ 15 people from Kappalady and the neighboring villages. Through our recently started “Elements-Life” project, we established a Youth Club in the village where we carry out life-skills programs and sports programs for children and youth. Furthermore, we support the close by schools and invest in educational programs for the children in the village. Thus, our guests can experience real sustainable tourism at Elements, and can even get engaged if they wish to.
We care for people
“I started Elements out of a passion for kitesurfing, people and nature. I love being on the water and share it with others. I am amazed by the grace of God and the way he designed life. I believe that we are all here for the reason of living in a relationship with God and to be ambassadors of hope, love, truth and forgiveness. Elements shall be a blessing, a place where we connect with our hearts, immerse into nature, reflect about origin, purpose and destiny and enjoy to just be.”
Marcel Bobay, Founder
together we make Elements "fly"
The Story
In 2004 the Swiss airline pilot Marcel Bobay came to Sri Lanka to fly for the national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines. He thought this would be a short-term undertaking and an intercultural experience in a tropical island, not anticipating what would be to come. Being a passionate kitesurfer, in his free time he started exploring new kitespots in Sri Lanka which he discovered from the flight deck during his flights back and forth to and from Colombo. Kitesurfing was a big part in his life and so he eventually started facilitating mobile kite events for friends and kitesurfers from all over the world in various locations in and around Sri Lanka.
In 2005 it went into a whole other dimension. In prayer, Marcel received the vision to establish a platform at the sea for people not only to live and share their passion for kitesurfing but in addition to connect with the creation, reflect about origin, life, destiny and the cause behind it all.
However, the question was where.
And it was on that one day in January 2006, putting his feet on the warm sandy beach of Kappalady, feeling the strong and smooth winds and the salty spray of the ocean waves on his skin, the warmth of the tropical sun on his back – in this magic moment he chose Kappalady for this vision to materialize – the birth of “Elements”.
5 years of difficulties, planning and construction followed and finally in February 2012, Elements opened with the spectacular event of the first Adams Bridge semi crossing.
and what we are today...
Today Elements is a place for you to relax and re-energize, to live with the rhythm and sounds of nature, reflect about life, meet and mingle with people from around the globe, and may be find answers.
We see us, our team and the existence of Elements as part of a big plan, which goes beyond of what we can see. We invest in others and preserve the environment in the best possible and sustainable way.
We empower the local youth and villagers through guidance and steady employment. We see it as our mission to invest in their children’s future and therefore support local schools through our partner organization Friends Lanka Child Foundation (www.flcf.lk).
We have started and are heading the Kappalady Hotel Organization through which we coordinate the beach and lagoon cleaning. We coordinate the removal of plastic waste and send it to the nearby incineration plant of the cement factory where it is used as alternative fuel, reducing CO2 emission.
We are committed to zero plastic in our hotel trying to facilitate your holiday without producing poisonous plastic waste and therefore reduce waste at the source. However all unavoidable waste is recycled into food waste, compost waste, metal, glass, plastics and burnable waste.
We further minimize the carbon footprint by using solar power for hot water and electricity generation.
We are part of and facilitators of a largescale environmental education program for school children together with Faith Kiteboarding and the local authorities which is to be launched this year in Sri Lanka.
We grow fruit and vegetable in our on-site Elements garden where we use our organic compost. The 650 coconut trees on our land produce more coconuts than we can use ourselves, thus we sell them in the local market.
Our pride and latest achievement are the 2 Sri Lankan bulls (Johan and Walter) they are our ultimate ecological on site work power, replacing diesel tractors and garden machinery.
But first and fore most it is all about you as our guest. Your happy smiles motivate and empower us to continue day by day. Thanks to you, the vision of Elements is alive and keeps living here at Kappalady.
We wish you an unforgettable stay with us!